The Ultimate Decluttering Guide to Follow Before You Sell Your Home

If you’re selling a home in Jasper (or elsewhere), your REALTOR® will talk to you about staging – the act of making your space as appealing as possible to prospective buyers. However, you can’t stage anything until you’ve decluttered your entire home. If you find the idea of decluttering your home to sell it a little overwhelming, don’t stress; this guide is here to help.

The Ultimate Decluttering Guide to Follow Before You Sell Your Home

Check out these five simple decluttering tips to help you go through your whole home and make it more appealing to prospective buyers:

1. Start with big stuff
2. Set a timer
3. Follow the 6-month rule
4. Take items out as you fill boxes or bags
5. Combine organization with your decluttering job

Scroll down for a closer look at each.

$1,200,000

• 5 Bedrooms
• 6 Bathrooms
• 5,748 Sq Ft
• 8.870 Acres

1700 N Newton St. Jasper, Indiana

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Listing courtesy of Larry Carpenter III from Carpenter Realty LLC.

$596,000

• 4 Bedrooms
• 4 Bathrooms
• 5,029 Sq Ft
• 2.295 Acres

515 N Weisheit Drive W Jasper, Indiana

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Listing courtesy of Stacey Thieman-Wright from THIEMAN REALTY.

$469,000

• 4 Bedrooms
• 5 Bathrooms
• 3,849 Sq Ft
• 0.557 Acres

4288 W Anya Court Jasper, Indiana

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Listing courtesy of Linda Schroering from CENTURY 21 SCHROERING REALTY.

$425,000

• 6 Bedrooms
• 4 Bathrooms
• 3,780 Sq Ft
• 0.570 Acres

4807 Killarney Court Jasper, Indiana

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Listing courtesy of Jake Mauntel from American Dream Mauntel Realty.

$400,000

• 4 Bedrooms
• 2 Bathrooms
• 3,490 Sq Ft
• 0.353 Acres

307 Newton Street Jasper, Indiana

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Listing courtesy of Tama Stemle from RE/MAX Local.

$279,900

• 3 Bedrooms
• 5 Bathrooms
• 2,867 Sq Ft
• 0.800 Acres

4180 Timberpoint Court Jasper, Indiana

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Listing courtesy of Melody Faulk from RE/MAX Local.

$274,900

• 3 Bedrooms
• 2 Bathrooms
• 1,365 Sq Ft
• 0.490 Acres

1443 Dexter Court Jasper, Indiana

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Listing courtesy of Adam Boyd from BOYD REALTY & DEVELOPMENT LLC.

$244,900

• 3 Bedrooms
• 3 Bathrooms
• 2,564 Sq Ft
• 0.440 Acres

3422 Lakeside Dr Drive Jasper, Indiana

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Listing courtesy of Diana Feuerbach from Key Associates of Rockport IN.

$237,000

• 4 Bedrooms
• 3 Bathrooms
• 2,577 Sq Ft
• 0.900 Acres

1486 3rd Avenue Jasper, Indiana

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Listing courtesy of Steve Lukemeyer from F.C. TUCKER EMGE.

$219,000

• 4 Bedrooms
• 2 Bathrooms
• 2,100 Sq Ft
• 0.110 Acres

214 W 9th Street Jasper, Indiana

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Listing courtesy of Ruger Kerstiens from F.C. TUCKER EMGE.

$199,900

• 2 Bedrooms
• 2 Bathrooms
• 1,266 Sq Ft

903-3 Reyling Drive Jasper, Indiana

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Listing courtesy of Kara Hinshaw from Key Associates Signature Realty.

$199,500

• 4 Bedrooms
• 2 Bathrooms
• 2,280 Sq Ft
• 0.130 Acres

610 E Fourteenth Street Jasper, Indiana

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Listing courtesy of Ryan Craig from RE/MAX Local.

$197,000

• 2 Bedrooms
• 3 Bathrooms
• 2,568 Sq Ft
• 0.190 Acres

1031 DORBETT Street Jasper, Indiana

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Listing courtesy of Connie Thewes from HOFFMAN & MULLEN REALTY INC.

$195,000

• 3 Bedrooms
• 2 Bathrooms
• 2,440 Sq Ft
• 0.920 Acres

1766 W State Road 56 Highway Jasper, Indiana

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Listing courtesy of Linda Schroering from CENTURY 21 SCHROERING REALTY.

$192,000

• 3 Bedrooms
• 2 Bathrooms
• 1,344 Sq Ft
• 0.230 Acres

4321 Rhine Strasse Jasper, Indiana

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Listing courtesy of Dara O'Neil from F.C. TUCKER EMGE.

Tip #1 to Declutter to Sell Your Home: Start with big stuff

When it’s time to declutter your home, you can make it easier on yourself by starting with big items, such as furnishings. If you have any furniture that clutters up your space, interrupts clear walking paths, or has simply seen better days, it’s time to put that furniture into storage, donate it, sell it, or throw it away.

You may find that by getting rid of large items first, the job suddenly seems quite a bit more manageable. And after you’ve finished your furniture, you can start on the smaller items cluttering up your cabinets, closets, drawers and other storage spaces.

Related: 3 features that make your home look old

Tip #2 to Declutter to Sell Your Home: Set a timer

If the clutter seems overwhelming, set yourself a timer. You can set it for as long as you’d like. However, the key is to work like crazy during the time the timer is running. For example, if you set a 30 minute timer, enter the room and make it your mission to rehome, throw out or put away as many items as you can. Don’t get distracted; remind yourself that you only have a few minutes left on your timer before you can do something else.

Pro Tip: Turn on some music, a podcast or your favorite TV show. That can help the time go by faster, particularly if you don’t find decluttering very exciting on its own.

Tip #3 to Declutter to Sell Your Home: Follow the six-month rule

When you are decluttering your home to sell it, follow the six-month rule. The six-month rule says that if you haven’t used something in the past six months, you’re very unlikely to need it during the time that your home is on the market. That means it’s safe to get rid of it, donate it, or even put it in your storage unit until you move into your next home. You most likely won’t miss the things that you haven’t used in the past six months.

Tip #4 to Declutter to Sell Your Home: Take items out as you fill boxes or bags

Set up boxes or bags for the items you encounter while you are decluttering your home. At minimum, you need these four:

• Donate
• Sell
• Trash
• Put away

As one box or bag fills, take it out to your car. The key is getting it out of your home (except the “Put Away” box, that is). Then, when you are finished for the day, take the box or bag where it really belongs – to the dumpster or to your favorite charity. If you plan to hold a yard sale, keep the items in your garage; likewise, if you plan to sell your items on Facebook or another online platform, take photos and list them right away – and then store them in the garage until they’re picked up.

Related: The ultimate guide to moving with a dog

Tip #5 to Declutter to Sell Your Home: Combine organization with your decluttering job

As you put away items you’ve decided to keep, make sure you put them away in an organized fashion. That may mean investing in some new baskets, bins or tubs so that when you put these items away, they have a home that keeps them neat.

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